UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)

Search UvA-DARE

Intra-household work timing: the effect on joint activities and the demand for child care

Number of pages

36

Publisher

Maastricht: TIER/UM

Serie

TIER/UM Working Paper

Volume | Edition (Serie)

2009-03

Document type

Report

Faculty

Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB)

Institute

Amsterdam School of Economics Research Institute (ASE-RI)

Abstract

We examine the work timing behavior of spouses. With work timing we mean the behavior that results in the performance of paid
labor at the same time, that cannot be explained by factors other than the partners' potential to communicate on the timing
of their work. We find that couples with children create less overlap in their work times and this effect is more pronounced
the younger the children. In general, the household types that create relatively more work time overlap are households with
higher educated women, with a higher household income, with less children, and with spouses who are more in control of their
own working times. We find evidence for a togetherness preference of spouses, but we only find this togetherness preference
for childless couples. Also, the joint time that spouses spend on household chores is significantly related to how couples
time their working hours, but the correlation that is found is very small. There is no evidence that the timing of work hours
affects the time that parents spend jointly on child care. Work timing behavior affects the demand for informal child care,
but not the demand for formal child care. Parents with young children create relatively more overlap in their work times and
demand more informal child care.

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations

If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let
the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible
and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library, or send a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
You will be contacted as soon as possible.